Summertime games heat up the competition at your next BBQ

Megan Couty, Sports Editor

With Memorial Day weekend approaching, summer barbecue season is about to be in full swing. While the burgers are grilling and the drinks are being poured it’s tradition to play some games. Here are a few fun games to try at your next party to get a little friendly competition going.

Bags: Whether you call it bags or cornhole, this game is a summer classic. You split into two teams of two and each team takes turns tossing the beanbags. If you get the bag into the hole you get three points, if it’s on the board but not in the hole you get one point.

First team to earn 21 points wins. You can even play with cancellation rules, meaning that if one team gets the bag in the hole and the other team also gets a bag in the hole in the same round, those points cancel out.

This game is great to play tournament style or in individual rounds.

Slip ‘N Slide Baseball: For those extra hot summer days Slip ‘N Slide baseball is my go to. You will need either four Slip ‘N Slides or four strips of tarp and a wiffle ball set in order to play.

Start by setting up the Slip ‘N Slides into a baseball diamond and hosing them down. After choosing teams flip a coin to see which team will bat first. When the batter hits the ball they must Slip ‘N Slide into the bases; get tagged and you’re out.

Frisbee Tic-Tac-Toe: Tic-tac-toe has never been so fun. First start out by making a tic-tac-toe board in the grass; this can be done either by using spray paint, pool noodles, rope, etc.

The only other things you will need are 10 Frisbees, which you can find at Walmart or Target. Players must stand 30 feet from the board and try to toss the Frisbees into the tic-tac-toe board. First person to get three in a row wins. You can play individual games or you can play tournament style.

Sponge Races: This is a great water game for the little ones. The goal of this game is to take your sponge, soak up as much water as you can from one bucket, and deliver it to the other bucket at the finish line.

The second bucket should be marked so that the runners know how much they need to fill. You can do this individually or in relay teams, depending on how large the group is. You will need two buckets and one dish sponge per individual or team.

Fill one of the buckets with water and place that in front of the racer; the other bucket will go on the opposite side of the yard or wherever the designated finish line is. First runner or team to fill their empty bucket to the marked line wins.

These are just a few of the great summer barbecue games out there. What are your favorites?